Beyond The Torture
by FanFictionFan9876
Summary: I do not own anything. I am merely playing with the characters! A short one shot after Snape's death in DH. Snape experiences the experience of being between life and death.


The pain seemed to subside as he stared into the deep, emerald green. He slowed his breathing, controlling the pain even further.

"Take them," he hissed, motioning to the tears slowly dribbling down his face.

Severus continued to stare into Harry's eyes, Lily's eyes, as Harry fumbled for a vial. He felt the warm tears run down his sallow face. The brim of the small vial touched Snape's face, and he let out an unconscious sigh at the coldness of the glass.

He blinked the tears out of his eyes, with Harry determinedly collecting the fluid. Only a few drops had managed to escape Severus' brutally controlled body, even in this moment.

"You have your mother's eyes," his voice cracked, as Harry corked the vial and looked at the wounds inflicted by Nagini. "Lily's eyes..."

Severus sighed again, and closed his eyes, ignoring Harry's feeble attempts at saving his life. He felt himself slip away and he gladly embraced the sensation. Snape felt Harry's attempts become ever more feeble, before feeling nothing.

Suddenly everything changed. The coldness of the night, as well as the dampness off his robes, had gone. He slowly opened his eyes. Blearily looking up, he saw a pair eyes again.

For an instant, he thought he was hallucinating. Brushing off this idiotic thought, the idea of looking into Harry's face, also flitted through his mind like a starling, before also being brushed away. Blinking, Severus focussed on what was before him.

Maybe thinking it was Harry's face wasn't such a bad idea, however. About to sigh, and to make a snappish, snide remark, a lightening bolt of a notion hit him.

"Hello Severus," he heard kindly.

Focussing even more, the image before him cleared, and he was staring into Potter's face.

"Potter," Snape spat waspishly. "Who knew you could save me from the moment of death?"

"Oh Severus," the voice sighed. The tone was almost full of amusement. "Wrong again."

Snape searched the features before falling onto the brown eyes.

"You," Snape hissed venomously, scrabbling to his feet. His hand instinctively went for his non-existent wand, before sense caught up with him.

James took a step back and smiled at the murderous expression on Severus' face.

"Hello Severus," he said ethereally. "Welcome."

"Welcome?" Snape repeated, confused. "What happened to Snivellus? What about my customary morning curse? What's happened to you Potter?"

"Maybe we'll get to that later," James replied blithely. "We have things to discuss first."

"Like what?" Snape spat.

"I need to both apologise and thank you," James answered serenely, acutely ignoring Snape's demeanour and tone.

"Thank you? Apologise?" Snape repeated incredulously.

"I need to apologise for everything that I did to you while we were at Hogwarts. A combination of immaturity, intelligence and hate made your life a living hell. I suppose I was a little jealous," James admittedly timidly.

"Jealous?" Snape continuously spat. "Jealous? What did the 'Great James Potter' have to be jealous of me for?"

Sarcasm had filled Severus' voice, and James could tell that he didn't believe him.

"You were friends with Lily."

The one sentence nearly floored Snape.

"Lily?" Snape breathed, disbelievingly. "You were jealous because I was friends with a woman who became your wife?"

"I was besotted with Lily the moment I saw her on our first day. You were her friend. I wasn't. For years, I was jealous of that relationship."

"What changed?"

"A combination of your moment of madness and the fact that I realised just how much of an idiot I was."

"She was never mine," Snape muttered darkly.

"Nor was she mine," James replied. "I was fortunate enough to experience her letting me into her life. That was all. She may have been my wife. We may have loved each other, but I never took that for granted. I know that you wouldn't have either."

"She chose you," Severus admitted grudgingly. "I may have been her friend but she never thought of me as she did you."

"I hope you now know just how sorry I am, Severus. Now, I must thank you."

"For what?" Snape's tone was back to being cautious.

"For keeping Harry safe. You may not have wanted to, but at least you did it for Lily. She'll be along in a minute. She wants to thank you herself..."

James faded away, and Snape looked around. His robes had been replaced with fresh white ones, and he was standing in nothing, but there was light all around him.

"Hello Severus," he heard and he whipped around. Lily was smiling at him.

The shock forced him to take an involuntary step back. Lily's smile grew wider and she closed the gap between them, and pulled him into an embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered as Snape sobbed, holding onto her her dear life.

They slowly broke apart and Severus' tears subsided.

"Come, everyone wants to see you again." She snaked her hand into his and began to lead him into a bright light.

He stopped dead. Lily didn't jerk back but merely stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"Everyone?" Severus repeated uncertainly. Lily smiled.

"They want to see you Severus. They want to thank you. I dare say a couple want to apologise like James."

"I do not deserve it," his words may have been whispered, but Lily still heard them.

"Severus Snape, you will come with me," he heard, the voice sharp. Lily was glaring at him.

He looked into her face and nodded. He followed her to the light, allowing it to engulf him.


End file.
